Family of lost child at Mayfair fights with police officers

A moment that should have brought feelings of relief quickly turned to conflict between police and patrons at Mayfair Mall.

According to a Wauwatosa Police Department report released this week:

A 2-year-old boy was found lost in the mall about 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7. As security and police officers tried to find his family, a 40-year-old Milwaukee woman approached and said she was his grandmother.

An officer asked for the woman's name, explaining she needed to document to whom the child was being turned over. The grandmother seemed hesitant to provide information, so the officer asked for an ID. That information was called in to dispatchers to find out if she had any warrants or other issues on her record.

The grandmother was accompanied by other family members, one of whom - an 18-year-old Milwaukee woman - started making comments that all the questions were disrespectful and unwarranted and that she believed they were being treated poorly due to the mayhem that had broken out at the mall Jan. 2.

The officer felt threatened and said that if the woman continued being loud, she would have her removed from the mall.

The woman started getting angry and yelled at a police captain and city alderman who had seen the incident unfold. An officer took her by the wrist to lead her out of the mall, but she got angry and kicked the officer.

The woman was forced to the ground. During the altercation, one officer was struck in the face and another's arm was scratched.

Meanwhile, the captain had to step in to restrain the 18-year-old's brother, who was upset by the treatment his sister was receiving.

The 18-year-old woman was cited for disorderly conduct and is scheduled to appear in municipal court in March.

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